First of all, if there are "shortages" of gas, where are the lines at the pumps? Every gas station in the country has plenty of fuel, so how can there be shortages? The truth is that soaring gas prices are a result of the basic law of capitalism which is the drive for maximum profits. A tiny group of giant oil corporations have monopoly control of the supply, production and distribution of oil and can pretty much set the price where they please. Consumers are forced to pay whatever these price-fixing conglomerates charge -- and that's as high as the market will bear. In addition, speculators bet on gas, further driving prices up. Let's face it. We're at the mercy of these corporate thieves. They steal the earth's natural resources and then force us to pay exorbitant prices to maximize their profits--all under the guise of "shortages."
WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
Some say taxing the oil companies' wind-fall profits is a solution. This is fine. But it is ineffective. It won't stop the rising gas prices. The oil companies will simply charge us more to make up for their "loss". Attacking energy "dependence" is another proposed solution. This is nonsensical. It implies that "we're all in this together." We, the people, don't own the oil, refineries or huge energy fields. In fact, we're totally "dependent," on them--the five or ten big energy corporations who own, or are trying to own, the world's energy.
The only solution to the tyranny of these corporations and monopoly control is to nationalize the oil companies. Put them under government control. Under nationalization, energy prices can be set at affordable prices by the government. We need to educate the people about the importance of building a conscious movement to do this. If we don't nationalize the energy, we'll keep paying and paying. The corporations have already privatized our food, water, education and health care. What's next? The air we breathe?
Nationalization is a step toward the ultimate solution which is to create a new society where the socially necessary means of production that are now corporate private property become public property. In such a society, distribution of the necessaries of life will be by need, not money. And, corporations will be a relic of the past.
